Microsoft and Netscape Unveil Broadcast Partners

SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft Corp. showcased its method of providing Internet broadcast technology to corporate computer networks in its bid for the business market against rival Netscape Communications Corp.

At a demonstration in San Francisco where the company showed its technology for “pushing” Internet content onto desktop computers, Microsoft also identified 10 publishers that have embraced its push technology. They include First Call Corp., Dow Jones & Co. Inc.’s Wall Street Journal electronic edition, Dun & Bradstreet Corp., Forbes Inc. and Time Warner Inc.’s Fortune.

All will provide content in the product Microsoft will provide to let companies tailor what’s broadcast onto their corporate computer networks. The push technology, available on Microsoft’s next update of its Internet browser, lets network administrators control when and how much information is broadcast to the desktop from the Internet. This is important for corporations, whose networks have enough strength, or bandwidth, to push much information onto their networks, analysts said.

Netscape, which plans to offer similar broadcast technology, today unveiled additional publishing partners. They include Knight-Ridder Inc., Charles Schwab Corp. and CitySearch Inc. They join about 23 existing content providers that include Walt Disney Co.’s ABC news.

Netscape’s corporate Internet broadcast product, called NetCaster, also will be able to receive broadcasts from about 100 publishers already used by Netscape partner Marimba Inc.